Hello, I would love some help identifying a bowl I have. I've been trying to identify this for years, and keep giving up and putting it away! It's made from a very fine material, is a beautiful curved shape with a narrow base, and is unglazed with a sgraffito style decoration inside and out. There is a monogram on the base that for the life of me I cannot intepret. It's scratched into the pottery and looks like a circle with an elongated C in the centre with possibly letters or numbers inside that. There are two dashes on the outer circle.

When I saw these images last night they did ring a bell but not that loudly. The decoration looked familiar but sleeping on it seems to have done the trick.

By rotating the image of the base 90 degrees anticlockwise the mark made sense. Your bowl was made by Bernard Charles and from the decoration was likely to have been made in the early 1980s.

Charles spent most of his life lecturing in ceramics at such places as Reading University and Poole School of Art and was even a consultant for a time for Poole Pottery. After retiring he began potting seriously in 1982 until 1996 when he turned to watercolour painting.

He was born in 1930 and, as far as I am aware, is still living in West Sussex.

_________________Now you should know by now that Potty and I need to see your bottom - we're funny that way!

studio-pots

Consultant

Number of posts : 5391Location : South East LondonRegistration date : 2011-02-17

Well I never! That's brilliant, thanks ever so much. I've just looked him up in the British Studio potters marks book, and there it is. I must have scoured that book 3 times looking for that mark and missed it every time!

what's in a name, quality always shines through eventually & one mans price is another's bla bla...it could be said someone who purchased your previous BC did OK or perhaps they just liked them for what they are and enjoys them.

Mud Baker

Number of posts : 53Location : The Garden of EnglandRegistration date : 2014-01-28

It does depending who is watching at any given time on the internet, as I did buy one, also unattributed, on there a couple of years ago. It was the same style and slightly smaller but with postage cost me £29.50.

_________________Now you should know by now that Potty and I need to see your bottom - we're funny that way!

studio-pots

Consultant

Number of posts : 5391Location : South East LondonRegistration date : 2011-02-17

...all said and done from what I have seen of his work it appeared to have been of an exceptional standard, like you mentioned better than many a better known maker out there - when you consider the kind of prices he charged back in the day for this kind of work. It's a wonder more collectors aren't aware of his work.

Mud Baker

Number of posts : 53Location : The Garden of EnglandRegistration date : 2014-01-28

Yet another bit of studio from the pile. You will be please to here 90% of it I am tracing through reference books and not about to post it all here. But some are sticking so am appealing for help from you lot.

So here we have a nice distinctive vase with an unclear mark. I think it is a B surrounded by a C? But could be miles off.